‘The Netherlands, the whole of Europe will soon unite’:National and European identites in the Waterloo literature of the Low Countries, 1815-1915

The Battle of Waterloo rocked Europe to its foundations and it was by far the largest battle ever fought in the Low Countries. In two of the victorious nations, Great Britain and what we now call Germany, the literary commemoration of Waterloo immediately developed a homogeneous heroic perspective, built around the central figures of the Duke of Wellington (in Britain) and Marshal Blücher (in Prussia). These two figures became national heroes who were used to construct and preserve the national identities Britain and Germany. Nevertheless, Waterloo literature of the Netherlands could not unambiguously represent a sense of national consciousness. Indeed, the fragmented history of the Low Countries and their importance for the political stability of Western Europe presented an ideal environment in which European selfimages could be expressed. Therefore, this article investigates the relationship between national and European identities in the Waterloo literature of the Low Countries until the First World War

Printing Spinoza

In this descriptive bibliography Jeroen van de Ven examines all editions of Spinoza’s writings published between 1663 and 1694: his exposition of Descartes’s ‘Principles’ with the ‘Metaphysical Thoughts’, the ‘Theological-Political Treatise’, and the posthumous writings, with the ‘Ethics’

The Orient in Utrecht: Adriaan Reland (1676-1718), Arabist, Cartographer, Antiquarian and Scholar of Comparative Religion

Adriaan Reland (1676-1718), Arabist, Cartographer, Antiquarian and Scholar of Comparative Religion covers the intellectual achievements of a remarkable man: Adriaan Reland, professor of Oriental languages (1701) and Hebrew Antiquities (1713) at the University of Utrecht from 1701 to 1718. Although he never travelled beyond the borders of his home country, he had an astonishingly broad worldview. The contributions in this volume illuminate Reland’s many accomplishments and follow his scholarly trajectory as an Orientalist, a linguist, a cartographer, a poet, and a historian of comparative religions. Reland, although a devout Protestant, believed that religions should be examined objectively on their own terms with the help of reliable and authentic documents, which would dispel the prejudices of the past.. Readership: All interested in the history of philology and Oriental studies, study of religions and languages, and those interested in the dialogue between different religions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book, though in places specialized, is suitable for a wide readership, including BA- and MA-students

Printing and Publishing Chinese Religion and Philosophy in the Dutch Republic, 1595–1700

This book sheds new light on the cultural encounter between China and Europe, by discussing how Chinese religion and philosophy were represented in Dutch printed works between 1595-1700.; Readership: All interested in early modern encounters between Asia and Europe, and anyone concerned with printing and publishing in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic

‘Nothing but Mayors and Sheriefs, and the deare yeere, and the great frost.’ A study of written historical culture in late medieval towns in the Low Countries and England

This thesis explores urban historical texts from late medieval towns in England and the Counties of Holland and Flanders. The wealth of primary examples discussed in this thesis from England and the Low Countries disproves the conviction long held in the scholarly literature that medieval town chronicles only existed in Italy and Germany. Taking a broader view through the framework of historical culture, rather than a strict definition of (urban) chronicle, many previously ignored urban historical texts are explored. The separate chapters discuss the format, authorship, contents and function of these written examples of urban historical culture. The comparative approach identifies a remarkable level of similarities in variety of format, types of author, use of national narratives and record-keeping traditions between England, Holland and Flanders. Local differences are found in the scope of these elements, but show few fundamental differences. Moreover, when compared to the manuscripts recognised as traditional German and Italian medieval town chronicles, the similarities are also noteworthy. A main thread through the study of all aspects of these written sources is the close link there is between historical and administrative writing in towns. The main group of authors we find are town clerks or secretaries, and town registers and magistrate lists are two major categories of format that we find. The use of these texts was similarly a combination of pragmatic recording and history writing, memorialising past events as well as documents for a legal memory as much as to promote the city’s status

Printing and Publishing Chinese Religion and Philosophy in the Dutch Republic, 1595–1700

This book sheds new light on the cultural encounter between China and Europe, by discussing how Chinese religion and philosophy were represented in Dutch printed works between 1595-1700.; Readership: All interested in early modern encounters between Asia and Europe, and anyone concerned with printing and publishing in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic